Control structure for ironing boards



Nov. 29, 1966 A. s. KING 3,288,090

CONTROL STRUCTURE FOR IRONING BOARDS F'iled Aug. 27, 1965 "liming wimm gi '-h um INVENTOR AVf/um .52 (/77;

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United States Patent 3,288,090 CONTROL STRUCTURE FOR IRONING BOARDS Arthur S. King, Prairie Village, Kaus., assignor to Murray W. Maxwell, Shawnee Mission, Kans., Sam D. Capper, Kansas City, Mo., and Nelle Ferguson, Kansas City,

Filed Aug. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 483,211 8 Claims. (Cl. 108138) This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 351,767, filed March 13, 1964, and entitled Ironing Board, now US. Letters Patent No. 3,203,373.

This invention relates to an ironing board assembly and, more particularly, to the provision of structure for adjusting the height of the ironing board with respect to the operator thereof.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an ironing board assembly wherein parallel linkage is utilized to interconnect an ironing board or table to a floor-engaging base whereby the ironing board will be maintained level when its vertical height is adjusted, and additionally including a novel spreader construction for adjusting, locking and collapsing the ironing board. In particular, an extensible member is interposed between the board and base to permit movement to the desired positions with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator.

It is an important object of my invention to provide an ironing board assembly having parallel linkage and spreader structure for supporting and vertically adjusting the ironing board wherein the structure and linkage may be placed adjacent one end of the ironing board and thereby require only a minimum of space beneath the same and, therefore, the assembly will have adequate leg room available beneath the ironing board to assure comfortable use thereof.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an ironing board assembly of the aforementioned character wherein the spreader structure includes readily releasable means for facilitating the collapsing of the ironing board onto the base to form a compact unit suitable for storage in a minimum of space and readily movable from place-to-place.

It is an important aim of the present invention to provide an ironing board assembly having a spreader structure wherein the vertical 'height of the board may be adjusted over an infinitely variable range between the vertical limits of the board, and is additionally easily adapted for use with simple motor means for mechanically adjusting the ironing board to the desired vertical positions.

It is another aim of the invention to provide an ironing board assembly having a spreader structure as above described wherein the structure comprises an elongated, extensible device and the ends thereof are mounted in pivotal relationship to the board and base to obviate the need for an adjustment bracket assembly, groove and pin arrangement or a similar type of connection with the board or base.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of an ironing board assembly made pursuant to the teaching of my invention, parts being broken away for clearness, an alternate operating position appearing in dashed lines;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along irregular line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical crosssectional view of a second embodiment of my ironing board assembly.

One embodiment of my ironing :board assembly is shown in FIGS. 1-4 and broadly includes an ironing board or table 10 connected to a floor-engaging support or base frame 12 by parallel linkage 14. A spreader or extensible device 16 is interposed between ironingboard 10 and base 12 for adjusting, locking and collapsing the assembly as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Base frame 12 includes a U-shaped section 18 having a restricted neck portion 20 at the normally forwardmos-t end thereof. Section 18 is flared outwardly and downwardly at the rearmost end thereof to form a pair of floor-engaging legs 22. A pair of floor-engaging plates 24 are mounted in opposed relation-ship on neck portion 20 and pivotally receive an articulating section 26. Section 26 comprises a U-shaped portion 28, the legs thereof 7 being pivotally attached to corresponding plates 24 by pins 30. Rod 32 extends longitudinally from the bight of portion 28 and is bent downwardly at the free end thereof to form a floor-engaging leg 34. The upper surface of rod 32 normally abuts the lower surface of the bight of I U-shaped section 18 as shown in the full-line position in FIG. 1. Section 26 may also be pivoted about pins 30 to assume the dashed-line position of FIG. 1.

A pair of upwardly extending, opposed side plates 36 are rigidly secured to section 18 proximal to legs 22. A pair of spaced pivot pins 38 span the distance between side plates 36.

A pair of downwardly extending, flanged plates 40 are attached by the flanges thereof to the lower surface of ironing board 10 and are spaced substantially in alignment with side plates 36. A pair of pivot pins 42 span the distance between plates 40 and are rigidly secured thereto.

Parallel linkage 14 includes two pairs of parallel, spaced links 44, the opposed ends thereof being pivotally secured to corresponding pivot pins 38 and 42. It will be appreciated that links 44 are equal in length to form a true parallel linkage structure whereby board 10 will be maintained parallel to base 12 irrespective of the vertical distance therebetwee-n.

Extensible device 16 includes a tube 46 coupled at its uppermost end tothe rear pivot pin 42 between the parallel links 44 thereon by pivot mechanism in the form of an integral collar 48 journalled on rear pin 42. An opening 50 is provided in the lowermost end of tube 46 and is defined by an annular shoulder 52. The uppermost end of a screw member 54 is journalled within opening 50' and has a collar 56 rigidly secured thereto above annular shoulder 52, while a handwheel 58 is rigidly mounted on member 54 below annular shoulder 52. Collar 56. and handwheel 58 are thus in opposed relationship with respect to annular shoulder 52 and abut the same to prevent longitudinal movement of screw member 54 with respect to tube 46. Bearing means is provided between annular shoulder 52 and the engaged portions of screw member 54, collar 56 and handwheel S8 to allow rotational movement of screw member 54 with respect to tube 46.

A lower member 60 is provided with an internally threaded bore 62 therein for threadably receiving screw member 54 at the uppermost end of member 60. Releasable pivot structure in the form of a yoke 64 is provided at the lowermost end of member 60 and normal- 'ly loops over forward pivot pin 38 between the parallel links 44.

A reversible motor 66 is secured to one of the flanged plates 40 at the inner surface thereof and is provided with mechanism for rotatably driving a cable 68 which extends through an opening in the longitudinal surface of tube 46 and is rigidly attached to the uppermost end of screw member 54.

In use, referring to the full-line position of FIG. 1, extensible device 16 is interposed between board 10 and base 12 with yoke 64 looped over forward pivot pin 38. To lower board 10, such as to the dashed-line position shown in FIG. 1, motor 66 is actuated to rot-ate cable 68 and consequently screw 54 in a direction whereby screw 5' 4 tightens into bore 62 of member 60 to shorten the over-all length of extensible device 16. As extensible device 16 is shortened in length, board will swing downwardly as yoke 64 and collar 48 pivot on their respective pins, the parallel linkage 14 pivoting in the conventional manner to maintain board 10 in a level position. Board 10 may :be lowered until member 60 has received the maximum length of screw 54, which, for illustration purposes, results in the dashed-line position of the board shown in FIG. 1.

To raise board 10, motor 66 is actuated to rotate screw 54 to retract the same from member 60 to thereby increase the over-all length of extensible device 16 Which results in a spreading or raising of board 10 with respect to base 12. It will be noted that handwheel 58 may be used to manually raise and lower board 10 in lieu of motor 66.

To collapse the ironing board assembly of the present invention, board 10 is raised manually until yoke 64 is released from its engagement with pivot pin 38. Extensible device 16 may then be pivoted rearwar-dly on pivot pin 42 as board 10 is lowered manually or by gravity, whereby device 16 will be interleaved between base 12 and board 10 when the latter has been lowered to its fully collapsed position.

Therefore, it will be appreciated that I have provided an ironing board assembly having an ironing board or table 10 which may be vertically adjusted in an infinitely variable number of positions within a range dictated by the possible extension of device 16. Also, the opposed ends of extensible device 16 are maintained in relatively fixed positions with respect to board 10' and base 12 thus eliminating the need for adjustment brackets or the like on the base or board. Parallel linkage 14 and extensible device 16 are confined to the rear portion of the ironing board assembly, and thus the area beneath the working surface of board 10 is not obstructed by components of the assembly whereby the operator of my invention will be provided with leg room beneath the working surface of board 10 when the operator desires to iron from a seated position.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5

is similar to the first embodiment except that the motor is positioned on the tube rather than one one of the plates attached to the board. In this regard, a tube 146 is pivotally secured to a pivot pin 142 by a collar 148 at the uppermost end of tube 146. A reversible motor 166 is mounted intermediate the ends of tube 146 and rotatably drives a cable 168 which is centrally located within tube 146. Cable 168 is rigidly secured to a screw member 154 which is rotatable with respect to tube 146 in substantially the same manner as in the above described first embodiment. Accordingly, motor 166 may be operated to raise and lower board 110 in essentially the same manner as hereinabove explained with respect to the adjustment of board 10 with motor 66.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by letters Patent is:

1. In an ironing board assembly of the kind having an ironing board, a supporting base for the board, and parallel linkage pivotally interconnecting the base and the board whereby the latter remains parallel with the base as it is shifted toward and away from the base, a

spreader for separating the board from its base com prising:

an elongated, extensible device, said device being interposed between the board and the base and being swingable with respect to the board and the base whereby, upon extension of the device, the board will swing away from the base. 2. The invention of claim 1, and

means mounting said device on said assembly includ-. ing pivot mechanism operably attaching one end 1 of the device to the board for swinging movement with respect to the latter. 3. The invention of claim 2, and

pivot structure operably coupling the opposite end 1 of the device with the base for swinging movement 1 with respect to the latter, said structure being releasable, permitting the board and the base to be collapsed with the device inter-.

leaved therebetween. 4. The invention of claim 2,

said parallel linkage including a plurality of pivot 1 pins between the linkage and the board and between the linkage and the base,

said mechanism including one of the pivot pins adjacent the board.

5. The invention of claim 3,

said parallel linkage including a plurality of pivot pins 1 between the linkage and the board and between the linkage and the base,

said structure including one of the pivot pins adjacent the base. 6. The invention of claim 1,

said device including a pair of relatively telescoped means coupled with said one member for rotating the latter. 8. The invention of claim 1,

said device including a pair of elongated, relatively telescoped members in screw-threaded interengagement, and a tube having a pair of opposed extremities, one of said extremities receiving the outer end of one of said members and being provided with means mounting said one member for rotation about its longitudinal axis,

there being means pivotally coupling the other of said extremities to said board and the outer end of the other member to said base; and

power means for rotating said one member, including a motor mounted on said assembly, a rotatable drive cable operably coupled with said motor and extending into said tube, and means in the tube connecting said cable to said outer end of the one member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,093 1/1911 Russ 108l38 X 2,451,259 10/1948 Tronie 108--116 2,531,880 11/1950 Herring 108 X 2,545,515 3/1951 Gannett et a1 108138 2,562,046 6/1951 Krantz 108-438 2,624,535 1/1953 Bollhoeife'r 108145 X 3,203,373 8/1965 King 10838 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,248,806 11/1960 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN IRONING BOARD ASSEMBLY OF THE KIND HAVING AN IRONING BOARD, A SUPPORTING BASE FOR THE BOARD, AND PARALLEL LINKAGE PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING THE BASE AND THE BOARD WHEREBY THE LATTER REMAINS PARALLEL WITH THE BASE AS IT IS SHIFTED TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE BASE, A SPREADER FOR SEPARATING THE BOARD FROM ITS BASE COMPRISING: 